He's been traded to a new team ... but Chad Ochocinco DOES NOT want a new jersey number -- and sources close to the NFL star tell TMZ .. he's willing to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to sport #85 for the New England Patriots this season.

Problem is .... the number currently belongs to Patriots STUD tight end Aaron Hernandez -- who rocked #85 in 2010 ... when he DOMINATED all season long.

We're told Ochocinco -- who CHANGED HIS LAST NAME to match his jersey number a few years ago -- wants to PAY Hernandez to give up the digits ... and sources say Chad feels "no number is too high."

FYI -- jersey numbers don't come cheap -- it cost Clinton Portis a cool $18k to buy the #26 from a teammate when he was traded to the Washington Redskins a few years ago.

why cuz hes in Boston now he should go all proper now back to "Johnson""

You answered your own question when you typed "Boston". "Ochocinco" is born out of Chad having to be bigger than the Bengals since ownership wasn't doing sh*t to make the team better. His numbers went down, he disappeared when him and TO went Batman and Robin and I'm sure the Pats fans see this as a chance for him to come full circle, much like Moss and Dillon did previously.

i thought he did too awhile back. I'm sure that gold digger doesn't want her last name being ocho cinco. but at the end of the day its whatever. i just wanna see that first game when we just go ham for 40 points

i thought he did too awhile back. I'm sure that gold digger doesn't want her last name being ocho cinco. but at the end of the day its whatever. i just wanna see that first game when we just go ham for 40 points

Is he still marrying that jawn? I swear, n*ggas get hypnotized by good pus*y in the league and act surprised when she takes everything on the way out.